ABSTRACT
Right to food is an internationally recognized human right that every individual should enjoy. Despite being one of the richest nations in the world, a significant proportion of the population within the United States does not enjoy this right and suffers from hunger and food insecurity (USDA, 2012). Food insecurity is the lack of consistent access to adequate food (Nord, 2003). In order to tackle issues of hunger and food insecurity, formal food assistance mechanisms have been put in place. Primary among these is SNAP, the largest food assistance program in the United States. The program’s primary objective is to safeguard the health and wellbeing of low-income households (Borjas, 2004; C-SNAP, 2007; Jolliffe et al., 2005). Indeed the federal government continues to spend a significant amount of resources on the program. Between 2007 and 2011 SNAP spending increased from approximately $30 billion to $72 billion (CBO, 2012). In 2012 approximately $81 billion was spent on SNAP (Rosenbaum, 2013). There has also been a significant increase in the number of households participating in the program. The number of people receiving SNAP benefits increased significantly between 2007 and 2011. According to the 2011 Congressional Budget, SNAP-participating households peaked at 45 million (CBO, 2012). Furthermore, current estimates are that the number of people participating in SNAP will continue to rise from fiscal year 2012 through fiscal year 2014 (CBO, 2012); the noted rise is largely attributed to the economic downturn.
